Since Release 11, the 3GPP architecture includes Traffic Detection Function (TDF). The TDF monitors application traffic flows. This is accomplished by means of a Packet Data Network Gateway (P-GW). However, an important arrangement option is placing the TDF obviously as shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement of a TDF in a communication system.
Referring to FIG. 1, the communication system may include an operatorcontrol network 110 and a Packet Data Network (PDN) 170.
The operator control network 110 may include a Policy Charging Resource Function (PCRF) 120, a PDN Gateway (PDN GW) 130, a Traffic Detection Function (TDF), 140, and a User Equipment (UE) 150. The communication system may further include a Policy Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF). The data communication between the PDN 170 and the UE 150 may generate PP traffic 160.
In the PCEF, the TDF 140 and an Application Detection Function (ADC) are optional entities for interpreting ADC rules transmitted by the PCRF. Unless the application detection function is required in the PCEF, detailed description thereof is not discussed herein.
The ADC rules are used to identify applications by means of identifiers (IDs) and, when they are identified, the TDF 140 detects the operations performed thereby. What it means that the TDF 140 detects applications is not generalized.
The TDF 140 is arranged on the routing path between the PDN 170 and the PND GW 130 in the operator control network 110.
Without detecting applications, the PDN GW 130 can support the function called PCEF which detects service level IP flows. The PCC rules from the PCRF 120 may be used to control how to change the service flows and QoS policies applied in the 3GPP network (and UE 150). For example, the traffic may be processed on the best effort basis (i.e. using default traffic processing. This means use of the default bearer with QCI=9 in EPS) without service flows (order) policy.
Since the interests in sorting the application data streams into predetermined charged operation policies as well as classifying appropriate QoSs potentially and, otherwise, classifying the traffics that can be processed as unclassified ‘best effort’ traffic are increasing, it is important to detect applications in the 3GPP system. Actually, some application data streams may be identified as those transmitted on ‘more optimal’ (i.e. smaller) radio resource.
The task for providing the charging capabilities at the application level is on the progress, and there is a need of a more efficient solution.